چكيده
Lexical collocations are common combinations of words that often occur together in written or spoken language. These phrases are an essential part of any language and play a crucial role in communication, especially for English language learners. However, one of the main challenges faced by English language learners is learning and using them. Thus, the researcher in the present study investigated and compared the effects of blended instruction and classroom-based instruction on learning lexical collocations by Iranian male and female EFL learners. For this purpose, the researcher selected 72 (36 male and 36 female) EFL learners out of the population of 300 EFL learners through the administration of Nelson English Language Test. The final participants of the study were assigned into four groups. In one group of each gender blended instruction was applied and in the other classroom-based instruction was used. The collected data for the study were analyzed using two-way ANCOVA. The results of the data analysis indicated that the implementation of blended instruction enhanced the learning of lexical collocations among all participants, irrespective of gender. It was noted that the growth rate of both men and women was consistent when using blended approaches for studying lexical collocations. Furthermore, a significant amount of interaction was found between the effects of method of instruction and gender on learning lexical collocations by the participants. This study may have some pedagogical implications for EFL teachers, learners, and syllabus designers.
Key words: Blended Instruction, Lexical Collocations, Classroom-based Instruction
